


Almost Hallmark

by nerdinacrown



Category: One Direction
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdinacrown/pseuds/nerdinacrown
Summary: Hey Jorko! I was your Fan-ta (get it. Fandom santa.) for Nicole’s exchange! Here’s a little Niam fic I wrote you. It’s called Almost Hallmark because it’s kinda about Hallmark movies and very much follows the plotline of one. Sorry I’m not the best at writing and sorry I’m posting so late, but hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas!





	Almost Hallmark

Niall had fallen in love the nearly the exact same way one dozen times. Or at least Luke/Michael/Jake/Chad portrayed by Niall had fallen love nearly the same way a dozen times. He’d been a fireman, news reporter, barista and five different forms of businessman. He also played the main character’s brother twice, friend/coworker with five lines three times and the foil to the main love interest once. And now in this, his 19th movie for the Hallmark network, he is Ryan Cooper, successful architect and local scrooge whose mind will be changed and heart melted by Chelsea Hollis at the end of two hours.

In real life, Niall has only been in love three-ish times. The first time was with Ellie at drama school until it turned out she was also sleeping with Ed… and Doug… and Taylor. The second was Harry, someone who really did have about ten different jobs but mostly was trying to make it big as a stand-up comic. Niall was pretty sure they were going to be endgame, but then Niall’s agent got him his first Hallmark movie and he moved to LA while Harry had finally started to make it in New York. For a while they occasionally hooked up if they happened to find themselves in the same city, and Niall is not above admitting that he has drunkenly got himself off to Harry’s Netflix special a few times, but the love definitely left. Most recently, Niall has been dating his co-star from his last film, Alexis and he’s fairly certain he’s in love with her. It was definitely one of the better scripts he’s received and their chemistry as characters kept up outside of the studio as well. Niall has been on the verge of proposing for a month or two now but something- he’s not sure what- keeps holding him back. 

Right now Alexis and Niall are starting different films for next year’s Countdown to Christmas. Niall comes into set and is saying hello to the familiar faces from his past films, when a big sturdy, warm something crashes into him and spills burning coffee all down his front. He screams in pain and frustration and is about to go off on whoever this idiot who isn’t watching where they’re going, when he looks up and sees possibly the most handsome person he has ever seen. Dark brown hair, the perfect smattering of facial hair, a plaid flannel shirt pulled tight over muscular shoulders… 

“I’m so sorry, it’s my first day and I’m already screwing up, I’ll get this dry cleaned for you…” 

Niall can only sort of hear the handsome stranger say as he tries to wipe Niall down with napkins he must have had in his pocket, or someone brought him while Niall was in awe of his face.   
He is about to mumble out something along the lines of “don’t worry about it, I just need to get ready,” when hot stranger drops to his on his knees to dry off Niall’s shoes. Niall can feel his face getting hot and red at this move, and he says through gritted teeth, “Just. Stop. I’m fine, it’s fine.” He really just wants to get out of this embarrassing and… frustrating situation as soon as possible. Speaking was apparently the wrong way to do this. Hot as fuck new guy looks up at him from down on his knees when he hears Niall talk and GOD he’s unfairly attractive and Niall just swallows a huge gulp of air. “Listen, let’s start over,” he says holding out his hand, pulling the new crew member up and then shaking his hand. “Niall Horan.”

“Liam Payne, new cameraman for your film.”

“Well Liam, luckily, I’ve got to go to wardrobe anyway- I’ll bring you my clothes once I’ve changed if you were serious about that dry cleaning offer.” 

“Oh yeah I was definitely serious, and I’m so sorry again.” 

****

Throughout the rest of the day, in nearly every scene Niall is in, he finds himself almost constantly breaking the biggest rule of film- staring right down the camera lens- all because he can’t take his eyes off Liam. After the director shouts at him about it for the third time, he musters up the inner strength to not stare. He decides he’ll get out the unfair and unbearable attraction he has for Liam with a quick wank when he showers that night. Then he’ll be over it all and be more of a professional tomorrow. When they finally wrap for the night, he practically throws Liam his coffee-stained clothes and doesn’t even stand there long enough to hear Liam promise to have it back to him sometime tomorrow.

****

Niall isn’t even sure what Alexis has made for dinner, even as he shovels it into his mouth. His “quick wank” in the shower had turned into quite a bit more than that, unable to get the picture of Liam down on his knees in front of him out of his head. Even now, his mind is wandering back to Liam and his thick arms holding up the camera as Alexis chatters on about her own day on set. “Niall are you listening to me? I know this is your billionth Christmas film with them and you’re wanting to move on to bigger things, but that doesn’t mean you have to scrooge up your real life too- when are you going to put up our Christmas tree and lights? Niall? Hellooooo???” 

“I don’t know Alexis,” he replies, finally shaken from his trance. “I’ll do it soon. Listen, I’m tired and have an early call- I’m going to go to bed okay? Night.” 

****

Niall goes to work in a raincoat. He’s really hoping it will make Liam laugh, and it may actually come in handy if he really does spill on him again. He walks into the studio and sees Liam looking around, Niall’s clothes from yesterday covered in a plastic slip clutched in his hand. Niall feels his hands get suddenly clammy and as Liam spots him and runs up to him, his nervous laugh that he thought he’d finally gotten over after filming A Very Berry Christmas bursts out of his throat without warning. Luckily, Liam notices the raincoat and is laughing at the same time, so Niall hopes it comes off as him laughing at his own joke, and not the stupid nerves it really is. 

“Probably a good idea,” Liam laughs, nodding to the raincoat. “Though I made sure to put my coffee down and only enjoy it when sitting down today,  
just to be sure.”

Niall’s giggles turn a bit more real at that. “It’s really alright, you don’t have to do that. Thanks for the doing the dry cleaning though, was kind of you to offer.”

“No problem, really, it was the least I could do. And actually, I spilt some water on someone else at lunch yesterday, so I think I’m going to stick the whole sitting down thing for a while to be honest.” 

Niall lets out a huge, genuine laugh at that. 

After finishing some scenes the director calls cut, and dismisses everyone to lunch. Niall, apparently a glutton for sexual frustration, decides to ask Liam if he wants to join him. “...it’s like the best place to eat near the studio. They get a bit TOO into the Christmas spirit for my taste, but god are their smoothies to die for.” 

“Too into the Christmas spirit? I really didn’t expect that coming from Mr. Hallmark himself…” Liam teases, sliding on his light coat to join Niall to lunch. They talk the whole way to lunch, and through lunch, and the whole walk back. There’s not a moment of silence as they get to know each other. In response to Liam’s comment, Niall admits his dream of moving onto bigger and brighter screens, which gets Liam to admit that he wants to move up to be a director, but that he’d actually really love to direct the Hallmark movies Niall wants to get away from because he’s positively obsessed with Christmas. Niall tells him how being around Christmassy sets year round for 16 different films now can kill any real magic left about Christmas. 

****

They talked about at least 400 other things over their lunch break the previous day, but apparently Liam had taken it as a challenge upon himself to help Niall win his Christmas spirit back. It’s a shorter day on set, as they are coming back that evening to film some nighttime scenes, and as the gap between begins, Liam grabs Niall by the arm, picks up his jacket for him, and drags him outside. “We’re going to see ummm, you know the Christmas man!” Liam announces as Niall struggles to put his jacket on while keeping up pace with Liam. Niall means to inform Liam that he didn’t even ask, this is technically abduction, and that he’s a bit too old and Grinch-y for this, but all he finds himself saying is, “You mean Santa?”

“Santa, yeah. There’s this great Christmas market I go to every year just a few blocks over, and you’re going to talk to Santa, and you’re going to eat cookies and make an ornament, and maybe even pick out a tree, and overall help find your Christmas spirit once more.” Niall can’t help but blush and nervous giggle just a little bit. He wants to be a little mad at Liam, he had actual errands to take care of during this break, but he can’t find even an ounce of anger in his body. Liam seemed to actually be worried about Niall’s holiday emotional state and clearly spent his evening plotting this day.   
They get to the Christmas market, and Niall can’t help but feel a little bit festive. It’s less of the forced Christmas mushiness that constantly surrounds him on set, and more natural- kids are running around, squealing with excitement about every stand and activity in the market, parents, grandparents and teenage babysitters all laughing and talking with genuine joy and community. There was just the right amount of chilly bite, even for the middle of Los Angeles at the beginning of December, and that breeze carried the scent of Christmas cookies and fresh pine and cider from around the market. Niall felt a million pounds later than he had in awhile. He turned to thank Liam, just to find him staring and smiling at him. “You’re already enjoying yourself aren’t you?” he asked, and before Niall could even answer, Liam shoved him right in line to sit with Santa. Being the middle of the afternoon on one of the first days it seemed the market was open, they were only behind one set of brother and sister. 

“I can’t believe it, but I really am. Thanks for this,” Niall said, “It definitely beats the errands I was going to run instead.” He would still have to run them soon, Niall thought to himself, but maybe he would force Liam to join him since he made him come here… no, Niall corrected himself. He can’t let himself become so easily entranced with this Christmas-loving cameraman so quickly and intensely. He was already having trouble make himself take the next step with Alexis, and it wasn’t fair to her or himself to even lightly entertain ideas like that. He and Liam were just friends, he shouldn’t want to spend every minute with him, laughing and staring at his beautiful face….

“If you’re nervous, I’ll go up there with you,” Liam’s voice broke through Niall’s thoughts. “Come on, I’ll even tell him what I want first,” Liam continued, grabbing Niall’s hand and pulling him up toward Santa’s lap. They each lightly sat-hovered on a knee, Liam speaking to the big guy first. “Hey Santa. For Christmas, all I really want is for my friend Niall here to find the right amount of Christmas spirit that makes him feel loved and happy.” So much for not constantly thinking about Liam Niall’s heart seemed to say as it began to try and jump right out of his chest. 

“And what about you Niall? What do you want for Christmas?” Santa asked, laughing a bit about the two grown men currently talking with him. 

“I think that’s what I’m looking for too. Love and happiness.” 

They spend the next hour or so making terrible craft ornaments, towering over the children sat at the table with them, and eating or drinking every Christmas treat and drink available. Liam even convinced him to feed the reindeer and three french hens they had in some pens at the center of the market, meaning they had done basically everything the market had to offer. “We really ought to be going. We need to eat before getting back to set,” Niall reminded Liam as he scrubbed up to his elbows with hand sanitizer. Any animal that wasn’t a dog probably carried rabies. 

“Wait, you’re not going to get a tree?” Liam asked, looking truly concerned about Niall’s Christmas spirit, even though he had just spent most of the day being holly and jolly.   
“Nah,” Niall replied. “First, where the hell would we put it during dinner and work? Plus, we walked here, and I’m sure as hell not carrying it all that way. Lastly, I’ve got a fake one. Drives me bloody mad with the needles constantly falling all over the floor.”

“Alright… if you insist…”

“I do. Now, come have dinner with me.” Is what Niall says, though it’s not what he meant to say, which he only realizes the moment it’s out of his mouth. He should have said Now, I need dinner and for you to go work on another movie because I have a girlfriend I live with and should have proposed to by now, and you’re making it very difficult to remember her. 

“Sounds perfect!” Liam says, lighting back up. “Where to?”

****

The next few weeks are spent in a similar way. They’re done filming for the day or for a break and so Liam and Niall hang out and Liam tries to bring Christmas joy into Niall’s life. They go ice skating (Niall is much better than he made himself out to be so Liam had to help hold him up around the ice, but the time he fell on top of Liam really was a mistake), take care of Niall’s shopping for his family and some friends (they’d all be getting not-gift-cards for the first time in a while), watch Christmas movies together (“Die Hard is definitely a Christmas film.” “Whatever you say, Liam.”), and generally just spend time together, with Liam louding signing Christmas carols, trying to get Niall to prove his spirit through song. 

“Wait, how did you get all this decorating done? And what’s that awesome smell?” Alexis exclaims as she comes home from filming on one of these days. 

“Well Liam’s been here helping me since about 3:30. And we were making Christmas cookies. They’re just cooling right now before we dress them up too,” Niall answers as he adjusts the wreath he just hung over the mantle. 

“Hey Alexis,” Liam greets, poking his head around the other side of the tree he was hanging some ornaments on. 

“Oh. Hello Liam. I should have known,” Alexis responds with way less politeness in her voice.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Niall questions, eyebrows knitted together. 

“Nothing.”

“I’m not buying that.”

Liam starts to scoot toward the door. “I should go, you guys have a good evening.”

“There was no need for you to be rude to my friend,” Niall shouts as soon as the door closes behind Liam.

“Boyfriend more like,” Alexis responds, stomping off toward their bedroom.

Niall just stammers whats and huhs and nos, unable to form coherent sentences.

“Look,” Alexis says, “I asked you for a long time to work on decorations and other Christmas things with me, and you did nothing. All you’ve talked about lately is Liam and how much fun you guys are having together since all you’ve been doing is spending your time with him. I’ve never actually seen anyone behave around and talk about someone like that in real life before. The only time I’ve seen anything like it is literally all the movies we’re in, and honestly now know my role and cue. You’re clearly madly in love with Liam, so go get him, I’m officially getting out of your way.” With that, Alexis is out the door and Niall can barely even register anything she’s said, let alone the fact that she’s not even in their home anymore. All through his brain is just the echo of “in love with Liam” and he can’t even deny it. 

****

The next day at work, Liam doesn’t show up. The director tells Niall he called in sick, and when Niall tries to text him or call him to see if he can bring him soup or something to take care of him, he gets no reply. The day after that, Liam is at work, looking suspiciously healthy. He tells Niall it was just a quick 24 hour bug, but will barely look him in the eye when he does. He avoids Niall the rest of the day, going to lunch with other camera crew members, and running right out the door when they wrap. The next couple days follow in a similar manner. 

Niall is hurt and confused. He and Liam had gotten so close, were spending all their time together, and Alexis had been right- Niall was crazy in love with Liam, and he was fairly certain Liam had been in love with him. Even the Christmas spirit Niall had found with Liam was draining right out of him as they seemed to grow further apart. 

****

They were working on some of the end scenes in the studio before breaking for Christmas. They would be be back after Christmas to do some location shooting for a couple of midstory scenes, but they sometimes used different crews for location shoots and since Liam had not been talking to Niall, he did not know if Liam would be part of those crews and therefore if Niall would ever see him again. What if Liam took this avoidance of Niall to the extreme and asked to never work on the same movie as him again? Niall had conceded to Liam’s apparent wish to never interact with him again, but with the holiday Liam loved so much- and got Niall to love again- nearing, and the possibility that he may never see someone he had dreamed about marrying multiple times recently growing, Niall was taking back his concession. He had to fucking do something to show Liam how much he loved and missed him at work today, or he may never get another chance. 

Unfortunately for Niall, he was not good at big romantic gestures. He was more about sensible- still well-thought out and showed that he cared- but sensible nonetheless gifts, and no matter how he racked his brain he could not come up with anything. All these stupid, mushy Hallmark movies later, he thought, and I still can’t come up with a damn thing. Wait. THIS mushy Hallmark movie. 

 

Some scenes were taking longer than anticipated, and Niall was getting really worried that they were going to have to save the grand finale for after Christmas. He really needed that final scene to happen to today. So he could hijack it and have his own grand finale. Hopefully. There must have been a bit of actual Christmas magic to the Santa he asked for love and happiness from, because they somehow ended up with time to film the final huge romantic scene and have a just perfect length break right before they did. It was all or nothing for Niall at this point, and he felt a little crazy, but it had worked for Luke/Michael/Jake/Chad before, and was supposed to happen for Ryan Cooper in this one as well.

“Aaaaaaand ACTION!” cried their director. In this movie, like many of the others, Chelsea has reminded Ryan what Christmas is all about and they fall in love in the process, but because of outside people and circumstances, they’ve been apart from one another, “fighting,” for awhile. Usually, Niall finds that whole mess a bit unrealistic. Today, it hits way too close to home. In this final scene, Ryan has gotten into Chelsea’s house in the early morning and pinned mistletoe above the doorway. The actress playing Chelsea makes her way down the stairs and toward the doorway, hitting the light switch on the way, letting out a quick scream of surprise at seeing Niall/Ryan waiting there under the mistletoe for her. “What are you doing here?! You scared me half to death!” Chelsea says, starting to step away.

“Please just wait,” Niall says as Ryan, grabbing her hand, but also says as himself to the close-up camera, which blessedly is being managed by Liam. He sends up a quick thanks to Santa/God/whoever might be listening in his head for that. “I know things seemed to get messy with Caroline and work, and I was a scrooge at first, but you changed me so quickly. You made me love Christmas, love life, love others, but above all, I love you.” Niall takes a deep, steadying breath, which luckily plays off well as Ryan, as he gets ready to continue this speech which is a thinly veiled rip off of so many other, not-for-TV movies. He just hopes he can get through all the way to his own twist on it before he is called out for staring the camera straight down- staring Liam straight down- like he did that first day. Liam is starting to catch on a bit that Niall is being Niall and talking to him, and not Ryan talking to Chelsea, because he has started to look up a bit from the display a look of gentle confusion in his beautiful brown eyes. “You had me from our messy hello, running right into me and spilling all over me,” his director’s eyes squint a bit at the omission of the words “your decorations” after spilling, but does not call cut. Liam’s eyes grow a bit as he recognizes why. “You have won me over, heart and soul, and I love you, god I love you, and when you figure out that you want to spend forever with someone, it’s impossible to let them slip away without asking to give forever a chance first.” Niall has tears in his eyes and can see that his director is giddy, he hasn’t given a scene this much of himself since his first movie and wanting to prove himself, he almost feels bad for needing to change the next few lines. But Liam is also tearing up, and thankfully smiling, and Niall’s own face lights up as he gets ready to fully embody the Hallmark characters he always condemns as crazy. He moves down to one knee, and instead of even pretending to address ‘Chelsea’, he is full-on facing Liam now. “I know it’s only been a short while, but I choose to love you from this day forward. I never want to be apart from you. Liam Payne,” he reaches into his pocket and pulls out not the prop engagement ring, but a real silver band he used his miracle break to go and buy, “will you do me the honor of marrying me?” 

Everyone seems too stunned to stop rolling, even Liam nearly dropping his camera doesn’t seem to startle anyone to action- they all just wait with bated breath. Eternity seems to pass and Niall starts to sweat in the stuffy suit wardrobe had bought for him. Liam is just staring at him in shock, and Niall is beginning to plan his move to another country, when the actress planning finally speaks up, “I have no idea what the hell is going on, but you’ve really got to answer him.” 

This seems to be the kick Liam needed, as tears start to pour out of his eyes, and he nods yes- tackling Niall to the ground and kissing him all over his face. 

“Thank god that doesn’t just work in movies,” Niall laughs, giving his new fiance a deep, wonderful kiss.


End file.
